By Annelise
Warwickshire,
United Kingdom 
Help! - Mail order bare-root Roses arrived and couldn't plant due to the wet weather.
I know it's a bit late in the day but I ordered some mail order bare root roses on Friday and they assured me they wouldn't be delivered until after Tuesday. We went away for on Friday and got back today to find them they had been delivered.
I have removed them from the special packaging and (althought they weren't dried out) soaked them in a bucket. I read you are supposed to plant immediately but the rain here today has been torrential and I haven't prepared the planting holes yet. I am worried what to do next - keep them in the water until I can plant, or remove them from the bucket and put back in the packaging? Worried that keeping them in the bucket of water for another day water may be bad for them?
9 Apr, 2012
Answers
Just heel them in somewhere until you can plant them.
9 Apr, 2012
Heel 'em in, as MG suggests - dig a hole and shove them in it, tread them down and then, when you get a chance, but asap, prepare the area you want to plant them in.
9 Apr, 2012
Thanks - was def going to get them in the ground tomorrow;it was what to do with them tonight really?
They've been 24hrs in water.
9 Apr, 2012
Well hopefully you read our replies to another query about bare rooted roses and took them out of the water. Personally I wouldn't have put them in water to start with I'd have left them in the packaging they came in.
10 Apr, 2012
Was in a bit of a panic last night Moon Grove to think of doing that. (How silly of me not to check replies to Bare root roses questions).Just needed a quick solution.
But, yes, I did take them out of the water last night and put them in the special packaging and all is well to plant today - phew!
Thank goodness for GOY!
10 Apr, 2012
Good they should do fine once you have them in the ground.
10 Apr, 2012
I would just get wet and plant them, I did some planting today in the rain lol
9 Apr, 2012